Anti-human HER3 antibodies and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides for isolated anti-human-HER3 antibodies or fragments thereof. More particularly the present invention provides an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 and competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody produced obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. The antibodies described in the present invention are useful for the treatment of cancer.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       2. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 1  wherein said antibody is selected from the group consisting of a murine antibody, a chimeric antibody, a humanized antibody, and a human antibody. 
     
     
       3. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 1  which comprises a variable light chain (VL) comprising the CDRs of the VL chain of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 and a variable heavy chain (VH) comprising the CDRs of the VH chain of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       4. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 3  which comprises the VL chain of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 and the VII chain of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       5. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 4  which is a monoclonal chimeric antibody, and which comprises the variable domains of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       6. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 3  which is a monoclonal humanized antibody comprising the CDRs of the antibody obtainable from hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       7. The isolated monoclonal antibody according to  claim 3  which is the murine monoclonal antibody (16D3-C1) obtainable from the hybridoma available under CNCM deposit number I-4486. 
     
     
       8. An antibody fragment of an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or of an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486, wherein said antibody fragment is selected from the group consisting of Fv, Fab, F(ab′)2, Fab′, dsFv, scFv, sc(Fv)2 and diabodies. 
     
     
       9. A nucleic acid encoding the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from the hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       10. A vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from the hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or a nucleic acid encoding the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       11. A host cell which has been transfected, infected or transformed by
 a first nucleic acid encoding the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from the hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486; or 
 a second nucleic acid encoding the VH domain or the VL domain of an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486; or 
 a vector comprising said first or second nucleic acid. 
 
     
     
       12. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from the hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486. 
     
     
       13. A method of treating cancers that express HER-3 in a patient in need thereof, comprising
 administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 produced by or obtainable from the hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486 or an isolated monoclonal antibody that competes for binding to the extracellular domain of human HER-3 with the antibody being produced by or obtainable from a hybridoma deposited as CNCM-I-4486.